Communication networks are well known in the computer communications field. By definition, a network is a group of computers and associated devices that are connected by communications facilities or links. Network communications can be of a permanent nature, such as via cables, or can be of a temporary nature, such as connections made through telephone or radio links. Networks may vary in size, from a local area network (LAN) consisting of a few computers or workstations and related devices; to a wide area network (WAN) which interconnects computers and LANs that are geographically dispersed; to a remote access service (RAS) which interconnects remote computers via temporary communication links. An internetwork, in turn, is the joining of multiple computer networks, both similar and dissimilar, by means of gateways or routers that facilitate data transfer and conversion from various networks. A well-known abbreviation for the term internetwork is “Internet.” As currently understood, the capitalized term “Internet” refers to the collection of networks and routers that use the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) to communicate with one another.
A representative section of the Internet 40 is shown in FIG. 1 (Prior Art) in which a plurality of local area networks (LANs) 44 and a wide area network (WAN) 46 are interconnected by routers 42. The routers 42 are generally special purpose computers used to interface one LAN or WAN to another. Communication links within the LANs may be twisted wire pair, or coaxial cable, while communication links between networks may utilize 56 Kbps analog telephone lines, or 1 Mbps digital T-1 lines and/or 45 Mbps T-3 lines. Further, computers and other related electronic devices can be remotely connected to either the LANs 44 or the WAN 46 via a modern and temporary telephone link. Such computers and electronic devices 48 are shown in FIG. 1 as connected to one of the LANs 44 by a dotted line. It will be appreciated that the Internet comprises a vast number of such interconnected networks, computers and routers and that only a small, representative section of the Internet 40 is shown in FIG. 1.
The Internet has recently seen explosive growth by virtue of its ability to link computers located throughout the world. As the Internet has grown, so has the World Wide Web (WWW). The WWW is a vast collection of interconnected or “hypertext” documents (also known as “Web pages”) written in HyperText Markup Language (HTML) that are electronically stored at “Web sites” throughout the Internet. A Web site is a server connected to the Internet that has mass storage facilities for storing hypertext documents and that runs administrative software for handling requests for those stored hypertext documents. A hypertext document normally includes a number of hyperlinks, i.e., highlighted portions of text that link the document to another hypertext document possibly stored at a Web site elsewhere on the Internet. Each hyperlink is associated with a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) that provides the exact location of the linked document on a server connected to the Internet. Thus, whenever a hypertext document is retrieved from any Web server, the document is considered to be retrieved from the WWW.
A user is allowed to retrieve hypertext documents from the WWW, i.e., a user is allowed to “surf the Web,” via a Web browser. A Web browser, such as NETSCAPE NAVIGATOR® or MICROSOFT® Internet Explorer, is a software program implemented by a Web client, i.e., a user's computer, to provide a graphical user interface to the WWW. Upon request from the user via the Web browser, the Web client accesses and retrieves the desired hypertext document or Web page from the appropriate Web server using the URL for the document and a protocol known as HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP). HTTP is a higher-level protocol than TCP/IP and is designed specifically for the requirements of the WWW. It is used on top of TCP/IP to transfer hypertext documents between servers and clients.
At the advent of the WWW, the information stored on the Internet was freely transferred back and forth between those parties interested in the information. However, the WWW is quickly becoming a channel of commercial activity, whereby a vast number of companies have developed their own Web sites for advertising and selling their goods and services. Commercial activity that takes place by means of connected computers is known as electronic commerce, or e-commerce, and can occur between a buyer and a seller through an on-line information service, the Internet, a bulletin board system (BBS), or between buyer and seller computers through electronic data interchange (EDI). A buyer (also referred to as a user, consumer or purchaser in the context of e-commerce) may “visit the Web site” of a company or seller, i.e., retrieve the hypertext documents located on the Web server of a particular seller, and order any good or service that the seller has to offer. If that good or service is in the form of electronically stored information, such as a book, a video, a computer game, etc., the buyer may simply download the good or service from the company's Web site to his or her computer for immediate consumption and use. If the good or service is of a more tangible nature, such as an appliance or article of clothing ordered from an on-line catalog, a more conventional method of delivery, e.g., the postal service or a common carrier, is used.
A common method of payment for e-commerce purchases is electronic credit, or e-credit. E-credit is a form of electronic commerce often involving credit card transactions carried out over the Internet. Traditional e-credit purchases are paid for by a major credit card, wherein the buyer is required to transmit his or her credit information, for example, an account number and expiration date, over the Internet to the company's Web site. Many buyers are concerned about the security and confidentiality of such electronic transmissions. Furthermore, many buyers do not have a major credit card with which to make such purchases. Alternative billing systems, such as providing credit information by facsimile or postal service, are much less convenient and often prove enough of a barrier to prohibit the sale altogether. Finally, the traditional methods of billing and payment do not adequately protect the seller or buyer from fraudulent purchases.
Accordingly, a more effective method and apparatus for ordering and billing for goods, services and content over a network, and ultimately the Internet, is needed. The method and apparatus should protect the seller and buyer from fraudulent purchases. Additionally, the method and apparatus should provide an element of non-repudiation to all transactions. The method and apparatus should also prevent buyers with histories of nonpayment from purchasing additional goods, services and/or content. Finally, the method and apparatus should allow a buyer without a major credit card to purchase goods, services and content over the network.